Suction cleaner



W. D. CROPLEY SUCTION CLEANER Oct. 4, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 26, 1953 Oct. 4, 1955 w. D. CROPLEY SUCTION CLEANER Filed March 26, 1955' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 William United States Patent SUCTION CLEANER William D. Cropley, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 26, 1953, Serial No. 344,718

6 Claims. (Cl. 183-51) The present invention relates to suction cleaners of the handle propelled type and more particularly to a resilient connection between the cleaner body and a bag movable with the handle.

An object of the invention is to provide a resilient coupling attached to a cleaner body and provided with an integral hinge to normally support a bag in an upwardly inclined direction and permit movement of the bag with a handle throughout its operating range between horizontal and vertical positions. Another object is to provide a resilient coupling having a hinge portion to support the bag and a relatively flexible corrugated por tion to permit movement of the bag with the handle. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a broken side view of a suction cleaner partly in section showing the handle and bag in normal operating position;

Figure 2 is a partial view of a suction cleaner partly in section showing the handle and bag in a vertical storage position, and

Figure 3 is a top View of the resilient coupling removed from the suction cleaner.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed comprises a suction cleaner having a body supported on front and rear wheels 11 and 12 respectively, and is provided with a surface cleaning nozzle 13 connected to an unshown fan chamber from which air is discharged to an exhaust passageway 14. A housing 15 encloses an unshown motor-fan unit for creating suction in the nozzle 13 and expel dirt laden air through the passageway 14. A handle 16 is pivotally mounted on the body 10 for propelling the latter on the wheels 11 and 12 over the surface to be cleaned. At the extreme end 17 of the exhaust passageway 14 is a resilient conduit 18 having an annular exterior recess 19 in which is seated a rib 20 of a bag ring 21 removably attached to the body 10 by a flange 22 seated in a bracket 23 and a flange 24 receiving a latch lever 25 pivotally mounted on the body 10. When the latch lever 25 is in locked position as shown in Figure 1 the inner end 26 of the conduit 18 is sealed against the end 17 of the exhaust passageway 14. A split ring 27 in an annular recess 28 of the conduit 18 seats the outer recess 19 on the rib 20.

The outer end 30 of the resilient conduit 18 is provided with an annular recess 31 in which is seated a rib 32 on a ring 33 of a bag adapter 34 to secure the latter to the conduit 18. A tubular bag support 35 extends from the ring 33 and is telescoped within a valve 36 of a filter bag 37 which is preferably formed of paper. A bag clamp 38 is mounted on the adapter 34 and includes a spring wire 39 which is extended and contracted about the lower end 41 of the bag 37 by a lever 41 to removably attach the bag 37 to the adapter 34. An appearance bag 42 encloses and supports the inner bag 37 and is suspended from the upper end of the handle 16 by a spring 43, and the lower end of the bag is secured by a clamp 44 to the bag ring 21. A slide fastener 45 in the outer bag 42 provides for access to the adapter 34 and bag 37.

The conduit 18 acts as a coupling between the body 10 and the inner bag 37 and may be formed of rubber or suitable resilient plastic material. The coupling 18 includes the opposite end rings 26 and 30 connected together by a hinge portion 50 and a series of corrugations 51 the latter extending around the coupling to the opposite sides 52-52 of the hinge 50, and the depth ofthe corrugations diminish as they aproach the hinge 50.

The depth of the corrugations 51 at the lower portion 53' of the coupling increase from the inner end 26 to the outer end 30 as indicated at 54 and 55. The variations in the depth of the corrugations from 54 to 55 compensates for the greater distance the lower end 56 of the bag adapter ring 33 must travel in comparison with the upper end 57 upon movement of the handle 16 and bag 37 between horizontal and vertical positions. The length of the hinge 50 is considerably shorter than the lower corrugated portion 53 to permit expansion and contraction of the corrugations during movement of the handle and bag throughout their range of movement. It will be noted the material forming the hinge 50 is thicker in cross-section than the lower corrugations 51 to provide a durable structure which can withstand the repeated contraction and expansion of the corrugations. In forming the coupling 18 the hinge 50 is provided with a preset bend to normally position the outer end ring 30 upwardly with respect to the inner ring 26 and thereby support the bag 37 at a substantially 45 degree angle with respect to the body 10.

In operation, the cleaner is propelled by the handle 16 over the surface to be cleaned and the dirt removed from the surface enters the nozzle 13 and is discharged through the passageway 14, coupling 18 and adapter 34 into the filter bag 37 which removes the dirt from the air stream prior to the latter passing through the bags 37 and 42 into the atmosphere. The outer bag 42 snugly embraces the inner bag 37 for movement of the latter with the handle 16 when it is raised and lowered with respect to the position shown in Figure 1. The hinge 50 is so formed and of such strength to normally support the bag 37 in the operating position shown in Figure 1. The resilient coupling 18 permits the bag 37 and the adapter 34 to move with the handle due to the hinge 50 bending and the corrugations 51 expanding and contracting. Upon raising the handle 16 to vertical storage position shown in Figure 2, the hinge 50 is curved upwardly and when the handle is in horizontal position the hinge 50 will be curved downwardly. However, the hinge 50 tends to at all times return the bag 37 to its normal operating position.

While I have shown and described but one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but to include all equivalent variations except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A suction cleaner of the type having a body provided with a discharge outlet, a propelling handle pivotally mounted on the body and a dirt filtering bag connected at its upper end with the handle for movement therewith, that improvement of a resilient conduit connecting the discharge outlet with the lower end of the bag and comprising a single hinge formed integrally in a portion of the wall of said conduit between the opposite ends thereof and corrugations formed in another wall portion of said conduit and extending circumferentially about said con- 3 duit to said single hinge to permit movement of said bag with said handle.

2. A suction cleaner as described in claim 1, and said hinge extending a less distance lengthwise of said conduit than said corrugations.

3. A suction cleaner as described in claim 1, and said hinge formed at a preset angle to normally support said bag in upwardly inclined position with respect to said discharge outlet.

4. A suction cleaner as described in claim 1, and said hinge connecting said bag to said discharge outlet for pivotal movement of said bag about an axis at the top of said conduit.

5. A suction cleaner described in claim 1, and said corrugations increasing in radial depth from adjacent said discharge outlet to a point adjacent said bag.

6. A coupling and supporting device for attachment of a dirt filtering bag to a suction cleaner, comprising a resilient conduit having means at its opposite ends for connection to the bag and the suction cleaner, said resilient conduit having an integral hinge formed to arrange said opposite ends of said conduit at a preset angle with respect to each other, and corrugations extending from said hinge to permit movement of the bag with respect to the cleaner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

